Green, Green Grass of Home

Once upon a time a family had a lovely back yard. It had beautiful grown trees that towered over the yard offering just the right amount of shade and breeze on a hot summer day. The only problem with the yard was the lawn. Because of the shade, the grass was difficult to grow.

The family invested in new dirt and all new sod. They were ecstatic with their lush grass and its deep, deep green colour. Finally! But the joy was short lived as the next year the grass came back, but thinner. Dirt and seed, but only a few blades came in. They babied and pampered that section of the yard. Still no grass. "Next year will be different", they consoled themselves.

It will be different all right. This year the family will have a nice shaded area with a beautiful view of this:





 Which covers up this hole--this is partially filled in. I'm sure it's half way to China and I don't know where the rest of the dirt went. Maybe he ate it. 

Gateway to China

 I'd be ok with that if I wanted to go to China via underground tunnels. And I wish Nakoda wouldn't grin so smugly about it:


Expert Excavator

 Grin away, Nakoda. I'm looking into renting you out to excavation companies--to help pay for the replacement dirt when you stop digging (and you will). Anyone else need some holes?  I'm happy to share!

Who Walks Who?

After we drop my daughter off at school, my son and I head home to walk the newest addition to the family. The last few walks have been tough because my son doesn't want to walk that far. He whines in that grate-on-your-last-known-nerve way that only kids can--for the whole 45 minute walk. Walk with me a minute:

Him: "I can't go any more"
Me: "We've only gone two houses. You can go farther."

Him:  "I can't walk farther"
Me: "Are you sure? You're a big boy who can do anything you want to."

Him: "I'm too tired" followed quickly by  "My legs are just tired"
Me: "But you did a four hour hike at Nahahi Ridge last year. And you are bigger and stronger now!"

Him: "Piggyback me, please? You can do it, Mooooooom!"
Me: "I can't walk Nakoda AND piggyback you--Mommy might drop you."

Him: "It's just because I'm so tired." (every syllable stretched as far as possible).
Me: "You shouldn't get up at 6am."
Him: "But Mooooooooooooooooooooom!" with full body flailing and head thrown back at an unnatural angle.

So I figured out the perfect solution: have him ride his bike. He loves to ride his bike! That will fix it. Nope.  I think he whined more. I tell him we are too far from home for me to walk his bike so he needs to ride it.

"Help me, Mom. I need a push." his sweet boy voice says with eyes glistening in plea. I melt.

Picture it: The dog walking beside me on the right. Me bending to the left, half jogging, pushing his bike most of the way home. At least Nakoda got 45 minutes of walking in--and I have new muscles to target in my workouts.

I was smarter the next day: the wagon--that will work! We had a whine free walk, I think.

The wagon is this green machine with horrible hard plastic wheels that vibrate over every pebble in a way that sends seizmic ripples up your arm. It amplifies every single rock, twig or ant it rolls over. It is noisy. So noisy that the dog keeps his ears down the whole 50 minute walk.

Is this really better than whining? Marginally. Every so often the wagon clips my heels then Nakoda's.

I tell myself the exercise is for the dog.  He needs the exercise to be happy.  It's to burn off his energy.

So why am I the one that is so tired?!

A Moment of Weakness

You know those moments when you think something sounds like the best idea ever? Then a while later you ask yourself: What was I thinking??? I'm living it now...

My whole family has been hounding me lately for a pet. Not  gold fish, a bird or any other caged animal. A "real" pet. My son wanted a kitten--but my husband doesn't like litter boxes because then the poop is in your house. Everyone agreed they wanted a dog or a puppy.

"A puppy?!" I thought to myself. "Are you nuts? I'm still recovering from baby sleep deprivation!" They are all crazy. I ignored them for a long time.

I countered with the ever popular winning arguments: they are expensive, they shed, they are a lot of work, they poop all over the yard.  Nothing worked. Maybe because secretly, I wanted one too. It seemed reasonable. We started to really think about getting a pet.

Everyone at least agreed not to put mom through Puppyhood right now. I'm too tired and too busy. I thought that was great because it would limit our choices. I mean really, how would we ever find a dog that was right for us that wasn't a puppy?



Looking at the Cochrane Humane Society web page yielded this adorable face.

I should mention that I find it physically impossible to go into a shelter and come out empty handed. I thought my husband understood that about me...apparently in 11 years of marriage that hadn't come up.

We called to make sure he wasn't adopted. Of course, he wasn't. We went to see this mush ball of fur and doesn't he come straight to the kids and lay at their feet. Hmmmm...OK so he's cute and furry. But he's big--about 50 pounds of dog. Neither of my children weigh 50 pounds yet. We play with him. We walk him. No pulling and no barking--he has some manners. He can sit and shake a paw. He's very charming.

Two hours later paper work is filled out and we go to leave without him (they have a rule that doesn't allow same day adoptions). Despite the valiant effort of a good friend to dissuade me. Both kids are sad to leave him behind and my son cries on my shoulder. My daughter says "He's the missing piece of our family, Mom." Well, who can argue with that?

My moment of weakness is named Nakoda.

He is home with us now. And I will spend my work time cleaning up dog poop and putting my flower beds back together.

What was I thinking?!